Meet Heidi Saadiya, Kerala’s first transwoman journalist

Kerala resident Heidi Saadiya made history as she became the first transgender broadcast journalist from the state. According to reports, she kick-started her stint with Malayalam news channel, Kairali, last month and her first report was on Chandrayaan-2 lander.

Saadiya told a portal that she feels no discrimination in the newsroom. In fact, her workplace is like a second home. “After my post-graduation course in electronic media from the Trivandrum Institute of Journalism, I was working as an intern with Kairali TV. After interning for a week, the company offered me the post of ‘News Trainee’ after evaluating my performance. This is a profession that I feel has no discrimination. The newsroom feels like a second home to me. I hope the LGBTQ community gets more such inclusive work spaces in future,” she says.

Kerala’s Health minister KK Shailaja too congratulated Saadiya on her achievement, and said, “Chavakkad native Saadiya has made a successful move at a moment when Chandrayaan 2 lander, ‘Vikram’, successfully separated from the orbiter. She’s the first transgender broadcast journalist from Kerala.”

Saadiya aims to act in the movies and, perhaps, even direct a film. However, the journey till now has been tumultuous as her parents haven’t accepted her. “At home, they have still not accepted me; they may have seen the lifestyle of transwomen in other states. I won’t blame them. They may have thought that I would bring them bad reputation,” she stated.